Portable computing devices including personal media players such as MP3 (Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG-1, audio layer 3) players, laptop PCs (personal computers), PDAs (personal digital assistants), mobile phones, smart phones, and similar devices commonly interact with accessories that utilize wires or cables. One example is earphones that plug into a portable media player that enables a user to privately listen to music or other audio content that is being rendered by the player. Other common accessories include cables used with power adapters to charge the batteries in the portable device, or to connect the portable device to another device like a desktop PC to synchronize, for example, content, calendars, tasks, contacts, and other data between them.
While portable devices are very popular and have become widely accepted and used in all kinds of environments, some users have indicated a desire for better ways to manage the cables and wires when using accessories. To use the case of personal media players as an example, the players are commonly temporarily stored in a bag or a pocket while in use so that the cable extends from the player to the earphones on the user's head. The user is then free to move about and listen to audio while performing all kinds of activities.
But all too often it seems, users can inadvertently drag, catch, or snag the earphone cable on themselves or other objects as they move around. For example, the earphone cable can get caught on the arm of a chair when the user gets up, or the cable can get snagged by the user's hand or arm when opening a door. These situations may not only be surprising to users when the earphones get pulled off their head, but can also cause real damage to the earphones or to the personal media player. Users have also expressed frustration when trying to keep accessory cables neat, tidy, and untangled when the accessories are stored between uses.
This Background is provided to introduce a brief context for the Summary and Detailed Description that follow. This Background is not intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter nor be viewed as limiting the claimed subject matter to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages or problems presented above.